Galvanic water processing apparatus



Sept. 21, 1948. T. c. JONES 2,449,706

GALVANIC WATER PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed. Jan. 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l ElE 1;

Sept. 21, 1948. T. c. JONES GALVANIC WATER PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 10, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 I. C (fakes.

Patented Sept. 21, 1948 pmrlao STATES. PATENT OFFICE GALVANIQ WATER PROCESSING APPARATUS Theodore C. Jones, Louisville, Ky. Application January 0, 9 .5, Se ial o, 5 2,1 6 (o1. 204-24s) 3 Claims.

My invention relates to a novel apparatusi'or processing water by means of a galvanic pile, to precipitate mineral salts and the like therefrom, said apparatus being intended primarily for processing boiler feed water.

The principal object ortheinvention i5 Provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus which may be easily installed, will be fficient and longlived, andwill'permit easy renewal of the galvanic. pile whenever required.

In carrying out the above, further objects are to provide .a novel galvanic pile unit for installation in the water-treating tank; and to make novel provision for yieldably holding said unit between asremovable end. Wall of the wi an a resilient support within said tank.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter I described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus, the removable end wall of the tank being secured in place to secure the removable galvanic pile unit in the tank.

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views on lines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. l, partly in elevation, showing the relation of parts before the removable end wall of the tank is secured in place.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the galvanic pile unit.

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be specifically described, with the understanding that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

A Vertical, preferably cylindrical tank 6 is provided, said tank having a hopper-like lower end I which is equipped with a gate valve or the like 8 for removal of the precipitate. wall 9 of the tank 6 is removable, being preferably held in place by suitable bolts lfl against a gasket l0. Near its upper end, the tank 6 is provided with a water inlet II, and a water outlet 12 is provided near the lower end of said tank, for connection with the boiler. A steam manifold l3 surrounds the tank 6 near its lower end, said manifold having a steam inlet I4 and a plurality of steam discharge nozzles l5, said nozzles extending through the tank wall. Steam from the boiler injected into the water being treated in the tank 6, through the nozzles i=5, highly heats said water to insure thorough precipitation of mineral salts and the like therefrom. To take The upper end.

i let 16 may be provided at the tank top, for com nectlon with a pressure blow-off valve or the like (not shown).

Near its lower .end, the tank 6 is provided with an internal upwardly facing shoulder l'l, When the ho pe -likel w r end 1 s f rm d seea et u from the major por n o t e a k, n olte to the latter as seen at 18, said lower end 1 may be of sufficiently small internal diameter at its upper end to permit it to form the shoulder 11. Ayresilient Su port 19 for a galvanic pile unit 20, rests upon the shoulder ll, said support preierably comprising a central hub 2| and radial arms 22 which d l l ne from. said hub. These arms and the hub are of appropriate material, such as a springy metal and in the present showing are formed integrally with each other, the

. OUter ends of said arms resting upon the shoulder cover is preferably formed with a shallow socket 9' to receive and center said rod end. Two insulating washers 21 and 28 abut the inner sides of the nuts 25 and 26 respectively and also abut the ends of an insulating sleeve 29 which surrounds the rod 24. The positive and negative electrodes 30 and 3| of the galvanic pile 20 are formed with central openings 32 through which the sleeve 29 passes, said electrodes being held in tight contact with each other by the rod, nuts and washers. The positive electrodes 30 are of frusto-conical form, with theirperipheries steep- 1y inclined to efiectively shed any precipitate settling thereon, and the negative electrodes 3i are cylindrical, and said positive electrodes preferably have shallow recesses 33 receiving the ends of said negative electrodes. The diameter of each .positive electrode 30, at its upper end, may be only slightly greater than the diameter of the negative electrodes 3i, as shown.

The length of the galvanic pile unit 2i) is such that when it is supported upon the resilient support l9, the cover 9 will contact with its upper end before said cover is drawn home by tightening of the bolts Ill. Thus during tightening of these bolts and drawing of the cover 9 into place, the resilient support [9 is compressed as will be seen by comparing Figs. 1 and. 4. The

resilient support I9 is thus held under tension to solidly hold the entire unit 20 clamped in place between said support and the cover 9, and this solid holding of said unit will not vary with expansion and contraction of the apparatus.

When replacing of electrodes is required, the cover 9 is removed and the entire unit 20 easily withdrawn from the tank 6. This withdrawn unit may now be easily reconditioned for reinsertion in the tank, or an entirely new unit may .be substituted.

Obviously the positive and negative electrodes" 4 holding said positive electrodes in contact with said negative electrodes.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; said positive electrodes having shallow sockets receiving the ends of said negative electrodes.

3. A water processing apparatus comprising a vertically elongated tank having a removable upper end wall formed with a central downward- -ly open socket, said tank having aninternal upwardly facing annular shoulder near its lower end, a support in said tank comprising a central hub and resilient arms radiating from said hub,

may be formed from any appropriate materials,

copper being one example for the positive electrodes 2B and zinc being one example for the negative electrodes 3|. It is also obvious that instead of injecting steam into the tank to heat a shoulder, said hub having a central opening, and

the water, the heating may be done'by 'arra'nging a steam coil in water in the tank.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for attaining the desired ends, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a water processing apparatus, a vertically elongated galvanic pile comprising vertically said arms resting at their outer ends on said a vertically elongated galvanic pile unit in said tank and resting on said hub, said unit having a central downward projection removably re- 'ceived in said opening of said hub, and a central upward projection removably received in said socket of said upper end wall, said resilient arms being under such tension as to press said unit upwardly against said upper end wall.

THEODORE C. JONESL REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 495,242 Cabell Apr. 11, 1893 525,316 Cassard Aug. 28, 1894 546,844 Craney Sept. 24, 1895 2,321,796 Butler June 15, 1943 2,321,797 Butler June 15, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 345,332 Italy Dec. 29, 1936 

